03-09-15 Regular Meeting of La Porte City Council

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Revised 2014 LA PORTE AREA WATER AUTHORITY DROUGHT CONTINGENCY PLAN A. INTRODUCTION Drought, or a number of other uncontrollable circumstances, can disrupt the normal availability of community or utility water supplies. Even though a city may have an adequate water supply, the supply could become contaminated, or a disaster could destroy the supply. System treatment, storage, or distribution failures can also present a city or utility with an emergency demand management situation. It is important to distinguish drought contingency planning from water conservation planning. While water conservation involves implementing permanent water use efficiency or reuse practices, drought contingency plans establish temporary methods or techniques designed to be used only as long as an emergency exists. The La Porte Area Water Authority is required by amended Title 30 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 288 to develop, update and maintain a Drought Contingency Plan. All future wholesale water contracts (new, renewed or extension) shall include a provision for all water distributed during a period of water shortage to be divided in accordance with the Texas Water Code, section 11.039. The intent of this Drought Contingency Plan is to institute temporary measures to minimize the adverse impacts of water supply shortage or other water supply emergency conditions. The Plan defines procedures to manage and conserve the available water supply with particular regard for domestic water use, sanitation and fire protection. REQUIRED ELEMENTS 1. Public Involvement 2. Trigger Conditions to begin and end each stage 3. Specific Targets for Water Use Reduction 4. Drought Stages and Notification Procedures 5. Information and Education 6. Implementation 7. Coordination with Regional Water Planning Groups 8. Enforcement 9. Variances 10. Plan Review and Update